- published: 21 Mar 2016
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Cenk Kadir Uygur (Turkish pronunciation: [ˈdʒɛŋk ˈujɡur]; born March 21, 1970), is the main host and co-founder of the progressive Internet and talk radio show, The Young Turks (TYT). A naturalized U.S. citizen, Uygur was born in Turkey and raised from age eight in the United States. He worked as an attorney in Washington D.C. and New York before beginning his career as a political commentator. Originally a moderate Republican, he has since become a staunch critic of both the Republican and Democratic parties and has adopted more progressive and liberal views.
In addition to hosting TYT, Uygur appeared on MSNBC as a political commentator in 2010, later hosting a weeknight commentary show on the channel for nearly six months—until the time slot was given to Al Sharpton. Shortly after leaving MSNBC, Uygur secured a show on Current TV that began airing on December 5, 2011 before Countdown with Keith Olbermann.
Uygur was born in Istanbul, Turkey and emigrated with his family to the United States when he was eight years old. He grew up in East Brunswick Township, New Jersey and graduated from East Brunswick High School. He attended the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania where he majored in management and was on the Student Activities Council representing the Turkish Students Association. He also earned a J.D. from Columbia Law School and worked as an associate attorney at the law firms of Drinker Biddle & Reath in Washington, D.C. and Hayes & Liebman in New York City.
The Young Turks is a progressive Internet news and political commentary program via live web stream and YouTube, as well as a weeknight news and political commentary program airing on Current TV. It was Sirius Satellite Radio's first original talk programming.The Young Turks claims to be the first Internet TV news show and the world's largest online news show. Video of the show is streamed daily on their website and available as a podcast. The show offers Internet-only video content via their YouTube channel, which in the month of April 2012 averaged 250,000 views a day, and almost 700 million views since December 2005. The Young Turks offers a paid members-only Postgame Show, an Internet only wrap-up show.
On December 5, 2011, an hour-long weeknight television version of The Young Turks premiered on Current TV. To differentiate itself with the web series, the TV series is billed as The Young Turks with Cenk Uygur.
Cenk Uygur was born in Istanbul, Turkey, and at the age of 8 his family moved to New Jersey, in the United States. He began a talk show in the mold of a public-access television cable TV show he had done previously called The Young Turk. With the help of friend Ben Mankiewicz, with whom he had previously worked, his childhood friend Dave Koller, and Jill Pike they began The Young Turks.